If you ae planning to stay indoors and make this most of this public holiday then whip up something desi in the kitchen and strengthen the bond with your family. Try these two recipes by Chef Manish Mehrotra.
ALMOND AND MAKHANA KHEER
Serves: 2 – 3 people
Ingredients Quantity
Full cream milk 2 cups
Sugar 4 tbsp.
Saffron strands a pinch
Green cardamom powder ½ tsp
Almond slivers ½ cup
Makhana (fox nuts) 1 cup
Ghee 2 tbsp
Method
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, roast makhana and almond sliver till they are golden.
• Heat milk and saffron strands in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil; keep stirring the milk, so that it does not sticks at the bottom.
• Add the sugar to the milk, and mix well.
• Add the whole makhana to the milk. Add the almond slivers to the mixture.
• Keep cooking the mixture till the makhana becomes softs and milk thickens a bit.
SPICED ALMOND BANANA JAGGERY CAKE
Serves: 3 – 4 person
Ingredients Quantity
Butter, unsalted 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder 1/2 cup cinnamon
Ground 1 ½ tsp
Nutmeg, ground 1/4 tsp
Almonds, sliced 1/2 cup
Sugar 3/4 cup
Eggs, large 3 no
Orange zest 2 tsp
Banana, ripped & mashed 1 1/4 cups
All-purpose flour 3 cups
Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Buttermilk 2/3 cup
Method:
• Melt 1/4 cup of the butter. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into an 8-cup pan; brush the butter over pan sides and bottom. Mix together the jaggery, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almonds. Sprinkle bottom of pan with half the jaggery mixture; combine the remaining mixture with the remaining melted butter; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter with granulated sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Beat in mashed banana.
• Mix all-purpose, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to banana mixture along with the buttermilk; stir until well blended.
• Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Spoon remaining jaggery sugar mixture evenly over top; cover with remaining batter.
• Bake in a 180° oven until a long wood skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack about 5 minutes, then invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve the cake warm or cool.